Lincoln County commissioners praise forest ranger

Lincoln County is fortunate to be dealing with a U.S. Forest Service district ranger who understands how to cooperate and work with the county as well as other agencies, commissioners said Tuesday.

County Commissioner Dallas Draper said he just returned from a meeting of the New Mexico Association of Counties and heard representatives from other areas express great concern that they were not receiving cooperation from their ranger districts.

"I just wanted to point out that all the different groups you've listed here today (that are involved with the Forest Service on projects) and the cooperation you've shown, the entire Forest Service should look at you as a model," Draper told Smokey Bear District Ranger Dave Warnack.

"Thank you. That means a lot, especially coming from this commission," Warnack replied to a wave of laughter from the audience. The commission is known throughout the state for its conservative and independent attitude and that members are not enamored with the federal government.

Commission Chairman Jackie Powell said she appreciated the on-going dialogue between the Smokey Bear District of the Lincoln National Forest and the county commission.

"I think we could be used as a model," she said. "We're surrounded by a million acres (of forest) and know how it affects us. Speaking with people generally in the public and watching some of the results of the Colorado fire, I feel like there is a false sense of security.

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In Colorado Springs, the guy thought a big fire couldn't happen in the town twice. With help with the Forest Service, we need to educate the public to make sure they understand that although there was a big fire here, by no means have we dodged the bullet. It's tinderbox dry and lightning or other natural things could happen, even if the national forest is closed. We need to get the correct message out. We're in a major dangerous situation even with major thinning by the village of Ruidoso."

Commissioner Kathryn Minter said she's received calls from residents asking when the national forest will be closed because of the lack of rainfall and the Fourth of July holiday approaching.

"We have been monitoring fuel moistures at least weekly, and over last two weeks, the fine fuels moisture has gone up by about 200 percent," Warnack told commissioners. "But as we know, they are the quickest to change as well, all we need is sunny days with some wind to really dry things out again."

The forest leadership confers daily about conditions and decided Monday to stay in Stage II fire restrictions, which do not allow campfires, for another week, at least, he said.

"One of the factors is that Stage II restrictions have been effective this year," Warnack said. "We are not finding the abandoned campfires we found previously and are not experiencing that much visitation in general."

As the holiday comes closer, that could change, depending on conditions, he said.

Earlier in the meeting, Warnack reported on several cooperative projects.

They included a multiple entity effort to implement a Firewise Wildland Urban Inter-face treatment of a residence and one acre of private land. Several contractors donated time and material for the project, he said. Members of the Greater Ruidoso Area Wildland Urban Interface working group along with the citizen groups such as the Little Bear Forest Reform Coalition and EcoServants, worked on the plan together.

The working group members include the U.S. Forest Service, Lincoln County government, the village of Ruidoso, the New Mexico State Forestry, the Bureau of Land Management, the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the South Central Mountain Resource Conservation and Development District.

Warnack said EcoServant members shot a video for YouTube to promote Firewise treatments across the community.

The ranger district worked with Lincoln County Emergency Medical Services, the Ruidoso Fire Department and Billy the Kid Scenic Byway to create a visitors safety brochure for delivery by the chambers of commerce, hotels, vendors and local agencies.

The Forest Service also has been working closely with the Ruidoso Parks and Recreation Department, EcoServants and the Ruidoso Bike Club to complete up to 12 miles of new mountain bike trails in the area between Grindstone Lake and Grindstone Mesa, Warnack said.

As for quick response to reported wildfires, Warnack said the ranger district has seven-day staffing, 12 hours a day during the fire season. Three engines are available, as well as a single engine air tanker at the municipal airport.

However, a hot shot crew recently was dispatched to the Silver Fire on Gila National Forest.

A crew from Minnesota substituted, but then also was dispatched to another fire.

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